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With time running
down, the field goal unit rushed on the field for the 21-yard attempt that
hit the left upright with three ticks left on the clock.
The second half had a
rather daunting beginning, as on their second touch, the Golden Eagles
drove 72 yards in 12 plays and hit a 28-yard field goal for the 3-0 lead.
The Bald Eagles
answered on the following drive however, traveling 59 yards on 13 plays,
including a 24-yard Storino-to-Lawrence strike, setting up a 28-yard kick
that Hagerman split through the uprights, knotting the score at three with
13:39 left in the game.
After a three-and-out
for the Golden Eagles, LHU took the next drive to paydirt, a 23-yard run
through the left side by Walker.
The
Clarion answer came on a drive beginning with 5:55 left in the game.
Eleven plays after a successful four-and-five conversion, Clarion
quarterback Brandon Dando hit punter/wide receiver John Farkas for 11
yards—the longest play of the 20-play drive—just inside the right front
pile-on for a 13-13 tie with 20 seconds left.
Clarion took the
first touch in overtime to a first-and-goal at the three. The Haven
defense stepped it up again, as stops by Will Jones
(McKeesport/McKeesport) and Derek Harsch (Wellsboro/Wellsboro Area)
and a tackle for loss by Mike Nesby (Rankin/Woodland Hills) left
the Golden Eagles settling for a 22-yard field goal.
On the Bald Eagles’
first touch, after a rush for no gain by Walker, Storino hit Rafael
Smith (Pittsburgh/Woodland Hills) before momentum took him out of
bounds inside the one, setting up the winning rush by Diehl.
Walker finished with
103 yards on 25 carries. Storino added 215 through the air, his main
target being Lawrence, who had five grabs for 102 yards, the most yards
receiving by a Bald Eagle since Marcus Buckley caught for 110
against California University (Pa.)
Oct. 11, 2003.
On the defensive
side, linebacker Brian Lumpkin (Rockville,
Md./Bullis School) recorded a Bald
Eagle season-best 13 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Brad Sones
(Elysburg/Southern Columbia), Mike Slatcoff (Sandy Lake/Cochranton)
and Show each chipped in with eight. Show and John Smeltzer (Red
Lion/Red Lion) each recovered fumbles for the Haven.
The Haven’s defensive
efforts held Marcus Lowe, the seventh-best rusher in the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference to just 46 yards, nearly 40 below his average.
Today’s win avenges
the 44-41 quadruple-overtime loss at Clarion in 1999, giving the LHU a 2-1
record all-time in extra frames, with both wins coming this season (at
Mansfield University, 33-30).
Diehl, Walker,
Storino, Lawrence, Hagerman, Show, Marshall, Jones, Harsch, Nesby, Smith,
Lumpkin, Sones, Slatcoff, Smeltzer and the rest of the Bald Eagles are
back in action Saturday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. at Indiana University (Pa.).
##LHU## |
